Window air conditioner units



Sept. 9, 1969 G. E. KIDDER SMITH WINDOW AIR CONDITIONER UNITS Filed Feb. 5, 1968 0mm mm 7 5552: =5 I m H. \fi hm MN OMWCA. I

'II II H h m T M N R ER 0 VE 4 T ND T w A as m United States Patent US. Cl. 62--262 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An air conditioning system having an air conditioning unit including a heat exchanger to which gaseous refrigerant is supplied for condensation therein, an evaporating coil in which the condensed refrigerant is expanded for cooling the coil and a blower for directing air through the coil to cool the air, the unit being disposed outside of a building adjacent to a window or other opening therein, and a panel adapted to be disposed in the window or opening and having an inlet therein connected by means of a conduit to the air conditioning unit to supply the cooled air to the interior of the building.

This invention relates to improvements in air conditioning systems, and more particularly to improvements in unit air conditioning systems of a type to be installed through an existing opening, such as a window or transom in a building.

Window air conditioners are widely used for the reason that they do not require alteration in existing buildings and can, in fact, be installed in double-hung sash windows, casement windows, and in other apertures in the walls-of buildings. Such air conditioners are self-contained, including usually an electric motor driven compressor, although heat pump and absorption-type refrigeration systems are also known. The unit includes a condensor and an evaporating coil, together with a motor driven fan or blower for forcing air through the evaporating coil to dehumidify and cool the air and direct it into the building. While such unit air conditioners are efficient and are generally quite satisfactory for cooling of rooms or other larger areas, they nevertheless have certain marked disadvantages. Inasmuch as the unit is installed in the window, all of the mechanical noises of the unit are readily transmitted into the room and this is particularly true of the operation of the blower or fan which at high speed produces a roar which is annoying. These air conditioners are unsightly when viewed from the inside or outside of the building and, moreover, block a large part of the window space. Moreover, the units are rather difficult to install and when installed usually are not removed by the occupant of the building, summer or winter. In the winter, close fitting of the unit to the window and the use of weather strips, especially in connection with double-hung sash windows, are required to prevent heat losses and drafts. To overcome some of these dis advantages, it has been proposed to separate the compressor and condensor section from the evaporating coil by housing them in interconnected casings which are spaced apart sufiiciently to allow the window sash to be lowered between the casings. In such units, however, because of the relatively small connecting neck between the casings, provision usually is not made for withdrawing stale air from the room and, as a consequence, after prolonged operation of the unit in an occupied room, the air becomes excessively stale and usually requires venting by opening another window or door to relieve this condition.

In most window installations for unit air conditioners, a bracket has to be mounted on the window sill to support the unit or otherwise, if the window sash is raised, the unit may fall out of the window, damaging it, and possibly injuring passersby.

In accordance with the present invention, a system is provided wherein the entire unit, except for an insert panel of small dimensions, is disposed entirely outside of the building with an insert panel removably disposed in the window or other building opening and connected to ducts in the unit air conditioner by means of conduits which can be of flexible and easily detachable nature so that during the winter, when the air conditioner is not in use, the insert panel can be removed easily from within the building, the ducts in the unit capped, and the window fully closed with consequent sealing of the window openmg.

More particularly, in accordance with the present invention, a bracket for the unit is provided which can be attached to a window sill or the bottom portion of a building opening with the unit supported outside the building by the bracket. An insert panel which may be only two or three inches high may be provided with an inlet duct having directional louvers therein and a venting duct which overlies the window sill and is supported thereon and by engagement with the window pane, a term which will be used hereinafter to indicate a sash of a double-hung window, a casement window, a transom and the like. Suitable couplings are provided on the outside of the insert panel which are connected by means of flexible or inflexible ducts or conduits to couplings on the air conditioning unit so that cold, conditioned air can be directed into the room through the inlet of the insert panel and stale room air can be drawn out through the vent in the insert panel. In cases where it is more efficient to withdraw air from near the top of the room, a separate small insert panel may be mounted between the top of the window frame or any other high area of the window and the window pane and also connected by means of a conduit to an appropriate coupling on the air conditioning unit. Both of the top and bottom insert panels may be formed of light-weight metal or high impact plastic or the like so that they will not be damaged by opening and closing of the panes or when subjected to other pressures.

For a better understanding of the present invention, ref. erence may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a side elevational and partial sectional view of an air conditioning system of the type embodying the present invention installed in a window opening having a double-hung sash;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevational and partial sectional view of the unit with parts broken away; and

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of an insert panel of the system showing the inlet and venting openings of the unit; and,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 2 and looking generally in the direction of the arrows.

While it will be understood that with minor modifications, the system described hereinafter can be used with various types of windows, transoms and the like, the embodiment described hereinafter is applied to a window W having double-hung panes P1 and P2. Any suitable type of refrigeration system can be used in the air conditioning unit 10, for example, a heat pump, an absorption system, but preferably an electrically driven unit of conventional construction, including the usual motor-driven compressor, condensor, expansion valve and evaporating coil, together with a blower or fan, none of which are illustrated, inasmuch as they are well known and conventional. The unit 10 is supported by means of a plurality of brackets 11, each of which, as illustrated, includes an upper leg 12 adapted to be secured by means of screws 13 or otherwise to the window sill 14. Extending downwardly from the leg 12 is an elongated strap 15 having a horizontal extension 16 and an upturned flange or lip 17 at its outer end adapted to engage the bottom of the air conditioning unit and support it outside of the building B below the level of the window opening. Two or more of the supporting brackets may be provided for supporting the unit 10 and the endmost brackets may, if it be desired, include an angle brace 18 for reinforcing the bracket. While a bracket of the type described facilitates the mounting of the unit from the inside of a building, the sill-engaging portion may be omitted if the air conditioner is hung by means of straps which are externally anchored as by means of expansion bolts directly to the building structure B below the sash.

The air conditioning unit 10 differs from conventional units in that instead of the usual grille through which air is introduced into the room and air is withdrawn from the room, the top panel 19 is provided with collar-like couplings 20 which are of appropriately large diameter, to enable a suflicient flow of conditioned air to be discharged from one and stale air to be withdrawn by the other by means of the blower or fan.

The air conditioner may include a shutter or valve by means of which all of the stale air can be vented to atmosphere, or part diverted and mixed with incoming fresh air. Referring to FIGURE 4, one such arrangement is disclosed and includes a wall 45 extending vertically through a portion of the air conditioner unit to form an air return passage 44, the outer wall of which includes a pivoted shutter 45 forming a portion thereof. In the position shown in solid lines, the shutter provides for the total recirculation of the air, but by pivoting it inwardly toward the wall 45, the air flow can be made to split so that a portion thereof is vented to the atmosphere while the remainder is recirculated. Of course, when the shutter is in the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 4, the entire air flow is vented to the atmosphere.

An insert panel 21 is attached to the coupling 20 or couplings 20 by means of flexible conduits 22 which are detachably connected to the couplings 20 and 23 to enable removal of the conduits during the winter and capping the couplings 20. The coupling or couplings 23 are located on the underside of the insert panel 21 which, as illustrated, is an elongated relatively shallow member formed of metal, such as aluminum, or sheet metal, or of plastic, preferably of the high impact type and which is of sufficient depth to extend from a opsition underlying the unit 10 outside the window to a position underlying the pane P1 of the window. The height of the insert panel preferably is small enough to cause a minimum separation of stiles P3 and P4 when the pane P1 is engaged with the top of the panel. However, if desired, and the unit requires a higher insert, the stiles may be weather stripped in the usual way to prevent entry of dirt, rain or wind.

Inasmuch as the insert panel 21 is of substantial horizonal width, it is provided with downwardly extending flanges 24 which are connected by means of screws 25 to slotted angle members 26 to engage the sill 14 and prevent tilting of the panel 21.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the insert panel 21 is quite long and, for example, is designed to fit any double-hung sash. If the window is wider than the length of the panel 21, the usual filler plates 27 and 28 may be attached to the ends of the panel 21 by means of screws 29 or any other suitable way to close the gap between the window sill and the pane P1. Also, for sealing of the pane P1 to the upper part of the insert panel 21, a fixed flange 30 and an adjustable flange 31 may be provided for engaging opposite sides of the pane P1 and a weather strip may be interposed between the bottom of the pane and the top of the insert panel.

In order to enable large quantities of cool air to be introduced into a room, an elongated inlet 32 is provided .4 in a panel 21 extending over a major portion of the length of the panel. Adjustable air directing blades or louver blades 33 may be mounted in the inlet 32 and a decorative covering may be provided for the exposed inner end of the inlet. Atthe left-hand end of the panel 21 is a vent 34 by means of which stale air can be withdrawn by means of the blower or by natural aspiration and either directed to atmosphere or returned by means of a conduit, like the conduit 22 and the couplings 20 and 23 to the intake side of the fan or blower for recirculation or partial recirculation through the evaporating coil and back into the room.

At the right hand end of the insert is a control panel I including knobs 35 and 36 for a thermostat for controlling temperature and a rheostat or multiple position switch for controlling blower speed in the usual way. A cable 37 connected to the control panel includes a plug 38 to plug into a wall outlet. A second cable 39 connects the control panel to the unit 10 and has a plug 40 to be inserted in a weather proof socket in the unit 10 for supplying current to the compressor motor and blower motor.

If it is desired, for any reason, the insert panel 21 can be positioned between the upper pane P2 and the head piece of the window. This arrangement has the advantages of introducing the cold air at a higher level so that it can be directed downwardly and the warm air removed from near the top of the room. Longer conduits will be required with this arrangement.

In a modification of the present system, the vent 34 may be omitted from the panel 21 and a venting panel 41 introduced between the upper edge of the pane P2 and the head piece of the window frame. This insert panel of very shallow dimensions can be connected by means of removable flexible conduit 42 to the air conditioner unit, as described above. With the use of a separate venting insert panel, the lower inlet panel 21 can be made shallower and the inlet 32 can extend almost the full length of the panel to provide a suitable area through which air can be introduced into a room. It is also possible to use the vent 34 as an inlet by connecting it with the inlet 32 and providing a coupling thereon whereby cool air may be introduced by elongated conduit into an adjacent room in the building.

The ability to locate the inlet and vent in different areas of the window improves the efficiency of the system, especially since the warm, stale air tends to rise. The system is, accordingly, much more flexible in its use and location than the prior unit air conditioners.

Other modifications can, of course, be made in the system, such as, for example, mounting the air conditioning unit on the ground or a pedestal below a first floor window so that it is completely detached from the building and any vibration of the unit will not be transferred through the wall of the building to the interior. Sound and vibration transimission can, of course, be minimized by interposing resilient pads 43 between the brackets 11 and the wall of the building or supporting the bracket in spaced relation to the wall of the building by means of interposed springs or other sound dampening devices.

With units of the type described, the sound of the operation of the unit is minimized in the interior of the building because all of the operating elements are outside of the window and even the sound of the blower can be dampened by means of suitable baflles disposed in the conduit or in the insert panel. In this way, a much quieter operating unit with respect to the occupants of the building is assured.

When air cooling or conditioning is no longer required, the pane P1 can be raised and the panel 21 or panels 21 and 41, the cables 37 and 39, and the conduits 22 disconnected from the unit 10. Thereafter, the couplings 20 can be capped and the window fully closed with much better weather sealing than is possible with the prior units.

Other variations in the system are possible within the scope of the present invention and accordingly, the embodiments illustrated herein should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention other than as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An air conditioning system for a building having an opening therein including a frame having at least one pane therein movable between open and closed positions, comprising a first housing member having an air conditioning unit mounted therein, said air conditioning unit including an evaporating coil, means for supplying a liquid refrigerant to said coil for evaporation therein to cool said coil and a blower for directing air through said coil to cool the air, means for mounting said first housing member outside of said building adjacent to said opening, an insert panel for insertion in said opening between said frame and said panel including a second housing having an air passage therethrough, coupling means carried by both said first and second housings, and conduit means connected to said coupling means for connecting said air passage to said air conditioning unit for directing said cooled air into said building.

2. The air conditioning system set forth in claim 1 comprising a vent opening in said insert panel for venting air from said room, a conduit connecting said vent opening to said air conditioning unit, and means in said air conditioning unit for selectively combining air from said vent opening with air directed through said coil or exhausting said air from said vent opening to atmosphere.

3. The air conditioning system set forth in claim 1 comprising a vent panel for insertion between said pane and said frame in spaced relation to said insert panel, an opening in said vent panel for exhausting air from said building, a conduit connecting said vent opening to said air conditioning unit and means in said air conditioning unit for selectively exhausting said air from said vent opening to atmosphere or combining at least part of said air from said vent opening with the air directed through said coil for cooling thereby.

4. An air conditioning system for a building having an opening therein including a frame having at least one pane therein movable between open and closed positions, comprising a first housing member having an air condi tioning unit mounted therein, said air conditioning unit including an evaporating coil, means for supplying a liquid refriegerant to said coil for evaporation therein to cool said coil and a blower for directing air through said coil to cool the air, means for mounting said first housing member outside of said building adjacent to said opening, an insert panel for insertion in said opening between said frame and said pane including a second housing having an air passage therethrough, and conduit means connecting said passage to said air conditioning unit for directing said cooled air into said building, said insert and said conduit means being removable from said unit and said opening to enable said pane to be moved to a closed position.

5. An air conditioning system for a building having an opening therein including a frame having at least one pane therein movable between open and closed positions, comprising a first housing member having an air conditioning unit mounted therein, said air conditioning unit including an evaporating coil, means for supplying a liquid refrigerant to said coil for evaporation therein to cool said coil and a blower for directing air through said coil to cool the air, means for mounting said first housing member outside of said building adjacent to said opening, an insert panel for insertion in said opening between said frame and said pane including a second housing having an air passage therethrough, and first conduit means connecting said air passage to said air conditioning unit for directing said cooled air into said building, a vent opening in said insert panel for venting air from said room, second conduit means connecting said vent opening to said air conditioning unit, and means in said air conditioning unit for selectively combining air from said vent opening with air directed through said coil or for exhausting said air from said vent opening to atmosphere, said panel and said first and second conduit means being removable from said opening and said unit to enable said pane to be moved to a closed position.

6. An air conditioning system for a building having an opening therein including a frame having at least one pane therein movable between open and closed positions, comprising a first housing member having an air conditioning unit mounted therein, said air conditioning unit including an evaporating coil, means for supplying a liquid refrigerant to said coil for evaporation therein to cool said coil and a blower for directing air through said coil to cool the air, means for mounting said first housing member outside of said building adjacent to said opening, an insert panel for insertion in said opening between said frame and said pane including a second housing having an air passage therethrough, and first conduit means connecting said air passage to said air conditioning unit for directing said cooled air into said building, a vent panel for insertion between said pane and said frame in spaced relation to said insert panel, an opening in said vent panel for exhausting air from said building, second conduit means connecting said vent opening to said air conditioning unit and means in said air conditioning unit for selectively exhausting said air from said vent opening to atmosphere or combining at least part of said air from said vent opening with the air directed through said coil for cooling thereby, said panels and said first and second conduit means being removable from said opening and said unit to enable said pane to be moved to a closed position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,654,227 10/1953 Mufiiy 62--262 2,660,866 12/1953 Tipton 62262 2,660,867 12/1953, Borgerd 62-262 2,664,720 1/ 1954 Borgerd 62--262 2,667,765 2/1954 Harris 62262 2,737,788 3/1956 Buttner 62262 WILLIAM J. WYE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 62427 

